Mode of study

UCAS Code

Start date

Overview

This degree is accredited the ACCA and CIMA offering exemptions to some of their papers after you graduate. Please see below.

Recent webinars:

Click here to watch a recording of our most recent Economics and Finance undergraduate webinar.

Brunel University London’s impact on the future wages of its graduates is among the best in the country compared to other universities, according to a new analysis of government data by The Economist (2017).

About the course

The course combines an understanding of theory with the practical skills necessary to apply your knowledge to a business, industrial, financial or government environment. It is this combination, together with a strong background in finance, that distinguishes Brunel’s courses from other economics degrees.

The structure and content of this degree are designed to enhance your understanding of all key economic aspects and tools and to stress the relation between theory and real-world examples. During your final year the course allows you to choose from specialist modules (labour, industrial or behavioural economics) depending on your study interests. Our Economics degree is flexible and provides you with a range of future career prospects – working as an economics analyst or a professional forecaster for example – while also equipping you with econometric techniques for postgraduate studies or work in economic research.

Aims

This broad-based course aims to produce economists with a range of technical expertise including quantitative and computing skills.

Particular emphasis is placed on the application of theoretical principles in the working environment.

Employability

Economics plays a crucial role in the operation, management and regulation of financial institutions, industry and government agencies. As a senior manager in public and private enterprise, a knowledge of economics significantly enhances strategic decision making, efficient resource allocation, cost saving implementation and sustainable management. Further, such knowledge is crucial in a world of integrating global markets and the information superhighway. The aim of our teaching is to give students 'employable knowledge'.

Economics graduates from Brunel have an excellent employment record and go into a wide variety of occupations. Some go on to further study and become professional economists or accountants. Others are employed in industry, the financial sector or government. In some cases, a job offer comes from a former work placement employer.

Careers

Economics graduates from Brunel have an excellent employment record and go into a wide variety of occupations. Some go on to further study and become professional economists or accountants. Others are employed in industry, the financial sector or government. In some cases, a job offer comes from a former work placement employer.

Past graduates have gone on to work in the following areas:

The City: Merrill Lynch (Brokers), NatWest (Financing Futures)

Chartered Accountancy: PricewaterhouseCoopers, KPMG

Central Government: the Bank of England, the Treasury, the Cabinet Office, the Department of Transport

At Brunel we provide many opportunities and experiences within your degree programme and beyond – work-based learning, professional support services, volunteering, mentoring, sports, arts, clubs, societies, and much, much more – and we encourage you to make the most of them, so that you can make the most of yourself.

English Language Requirements

Brunel University London strongly recommends that if you will require a Tier 4 visa, you sit your IELTS test at a test centre that has been approved by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) as being a provider of a Secure English Language Test (SELT). Not all test centres have this status. The University can accept IELTS (with the required scores) taken at any official test centre or other English Language qualifications we accept as meeting our main award entry requirements.

However, if you wish to undertake a Pre-sessional English course to further improve your English prior to the start of your degree course, you must sit the test at an approved SELT provider. This is because you will only be able to apply for a Tier 4 student visa to undertake a Pre-sessional English course if you hold a SELT from a UKVI approved test centre. Find out more information about it.

Brunel also offers our own BrunELT English Test and accepts a range of other language courses. We also have Pre-sessional English language courses for students who do not meet these requirements, or who wish to improve their English. Find out more information about English course and test options.

Teaching and Assessment

Teaching

Hours

You will have about 12 to14 hours of directed study a week in Level 1. This number decreases in Levels 2 and 3. Students are also expected to undertake substantial independent study.

How will I be taught?

Lectures – These provide a broad overview of key concepts and ideas relating to your course and establish a framework from which to carry out more in depth study.

Workshops – These are generally used for modules in finance or quantitative subjects. They often take the form of working through answers to a previously distributed assignment sheet of exercise questions.

Seminars – These relatively small groups are used to examine the lecture material in more detail, and to analyse and apply theoretical concepts in specific contexts.

One-to-one – You will have one-to-one supervision for your final year dissertation, and at all levels you will have a personal tutor who is available to discuss personal and academic problems. If you go on placement, you will also be allocated a tutor who will monitor your progress and provide further support if you need it.

Other – This may include guest speakers from prominent organisations, research seminars and external site visits.

Assessment

Each subject is assessed in the term when it is studied. The proportion of exam to coursework is approximately 75% to 25%, but some courses have a higher proportion of continuous assessment. Level 1 does not count towards your final degree mark. Level 2 is worth a third, and Level 3 is worth the rest. The final year dissertation is worth a third of Level 3 marks.

Special Features

Accredited by ACCA and CIMA offering exemptions to some professional papers following graduation (please see Accreditation below). Not only is this a fast-track way to professional qualifications after you graduate, but it is also a symbol of the quality of the courses offered at Brunel.

Many of our staff are internationally and nationally recognised for their work in this field; they work as consultants for government bodies and are widely published. You be trained to use analytical packages widely used by business and financial institutions such as SAS, Eviews, Bloomberg, Reuters and STATA and others.

You’ll study econometrics to help develop skills in data modelling using computer programmes – a skill highly valued by finance and investment employers

We have good links with organisations which means:

High-quality work placements

Up-to-date course content

Better opportunities to find a good job after you graduate

Accreditation

Graduates of our BSc degrees in economics and finance can look forward to the following exemptions from professional accountancy bodies, depending on degree and module choices.

ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants)

Our graduates enjoy exemptions from all FIA papers and up to 8 out of 9 ACCA Papers depending on the programme of study and module choices at level three.